Roasted carrots & onions with goat cheese

While I don't admit to being an expert food photographer (looking to take a class this spring/summer, actually... all suggestions welcome!), I've learned a good bit over the past three years or so.  Do you want to hear the biggest lesson I've learned?

Some food is just not very pretty.  

Said food is verrrrry tricky to photograph, especially because food almost always looks better in person.  So, ugly food in person means super unattractive food in pictures.  Got that?

So, you can imagine my delight (dotted with audible squeals) when I made this side dish for dinner last night.  The shapes!  The colors!  The textures!  I was as happy as a clam just ogling at my dinner.

...that is an outright lie.  You know it, and I know it, too. I had to put fork to food to pie hole.

And holy cats, Batman!  You know I have issues with pretty food, namely cakes, that while looking great, doesn't taste like anything special.

Not here, folks!  The somewhat ordinary root vegetables transformed into mouth-watering carrots and onions that were so tender and so sweet.  And those little last minute dots of tangy goat cheese?  Out of the ballpark!!  (What doesn't improve with the addition of goat cheese?  Go ahead, think about that and get back to me.)  This quick and simple side just may have replaced my all-time favorite roasted green beans.  It's that big of a deal.

I'd like to say that I felt bad for poor Matt because he couldn't taste these flavors.  You see, he'd come down with a nasty stomach flu earlier that morning and was laid out on the couch, looking the opposite of photogenic, nibbling on toast.  I did the best job I could playing nurse so he'd recover quickly, but, um... I can't say that I would've shared these.  Nope.  Definitely would not have shared without a throwdown, an all out brawl.

If root vegetables made me this passionate, you might want to make these ASAP.  Yesterday would be even better :)

(Feel better, Matt!)

One year ago: Turkey and rice stuffed peppers
Two years ago: Lentil salad


Roasted Carrots and Onions with Goat Cheese
(inspired by Confessions of a Foodie Bride)
-serves 2

1lbs whole or baby carrots
1/4 medium red onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Dried rosemary
Salt
Ground black pepper
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  If using whole carrots, peel and cut into thirds lengthwise, then halve those pieces.  If using baby carrots, halve the bigger ones lengthwise.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots and onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Roast for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Crumble goat cheese over the warm carrots and onions and serve... yum!